Cat Health – Keeping Them Purr-fect

Please welcome guest blogger Lilly Sheperd! Today she has a post that asks us to be proactive in regard to the health of our friendly felines. She covers how important preventative maintenance can be for your cat and how crucial it is for them to engage in exercise and activity while also enjoying a good diet. If you have any questions, comments or tips of your own for keeping your cats healthy please let us know in the comments section. Thanks!

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Cats are extremely agile and active pets known for their curiosity. For this reason, many humans find they are easily humored by the feline species’ innate sense of independence, and enjoy spending time with these furry little beholders of big personalities.

It is no wonder, then, that cat owners want to do whatever it takes to help their animal companions live long and healthy lives. Promoting longevity in your pet is not achieved by any miracle cure, but rather results from consistent effort throughout an entire cat’s life. By combining a well-rounded preventative care regimen, an increase in the amount of exercise your pet experiences, and a boost to the nutritional value of your cat’s diet, you may be able to carry your pet through over a decade of play, laughter, and fun.

Preventative Care Starts Early: Preparing Your Pet for a Long and Healthy Life

One of the most important aspects of health maintenance for your cat is preventative medicine – and prevention begins the moment that a cat is born. Staying up-to-date on regular vaccinations, anti-parasitic medications, and other preventative treatments can severely reduce the risk of your beloved pet developing illnesses and diseases. Since regulations regarding what medicines are required of domesticated animals often change, consultation with your veterinarian on an annual basis is necessary to help you ensure that you stay in compliance with policy.

Another key facet of preventative care for cats is maintenence of your pet’s dental hygiene – though it is often overlooked by pet owners. The process of taking care of your cat’s teeth and gums is relatively simple: with a small toothbrush and a pea-sized drop of toothpaste that is specially formulated for your cat’s mouth, gently massage the teeth and gum areas to remove plaque and any other buildup. Cats that are more finicky about the process of having their teeth brushed often can substitute crunchy dental health treats, designed to remove plaque as cats eat, for their brushing routine. Frequently serving crunchy dry food to your cat can also reduce the risk of buildup forming inside its mouth.

Achieving Regular Activity: Both Play and Exercise Are Critical to Cat Health

It is very important for cats to have access to toys and enough space for adequate play each day. Surely, stereotypes tell us that cats are fat, lazy, and lounge around all day – and veterinarians agree that it is healthy for cats to have relaxation time as well. However, play can help build the strength of your pet’s muscles, and staying active can prevent troubles with your cat’s joints and ligaments over time. It is far easier for active cats to maintain a healthy weight through engagement in exercise than simply through calorie restriction.

A Nutritious Diet: A Central Part of a Cat’s Healthy Lifestyle

Perhaps the most important part of a pet’s preventative care routine is the maintenance of a healthy, balanced diet. A cat should have a daily diet of healthy cat food. The ideal cat food brand has a high level of animal proteins, and is chock-full of vitamins and minerals that promote your cat’s health. Look for trusted brands that, unlike generic brands, have certification stamps of their safety, and use meats, carbohydrates, and other ingredients that are natural and of high quality. Access to a fresh bowl of clean water is also a key part of maintaining bodily health for a cat.

Did you know that over 54% of the cat population in the United States is overweight? Veterinarians warn that extra weight is an early indicator of disease, and can lead to kidney failures, heart disease, and other kitty illnesses over time. Weight management is based in part on portion control, but also depends upon the food’s nutritional quality. For more information about what your pet’s particular dietary needs are, consult your veterinarian.

This is a guest post by Lilly Sheperd. She is freelance writer, occasional guest blogger and pet lover.

23 comments

What a lot of shit,do big cats in the wild eat carbs??? lol Giving “crunchy cat food” ciz it can only be kibble that YOU are talking about is like handing a child a shit load of biscuits!!! Plus this crunchy cat food causes dental problems in cats haha!!!

Well, first, some wild cats do graze on grasses and wild greens. Wild greens and biscuits aren’t the same thing. Wild grasses can aid digestion.

Crunchy cat food isn’t the cause of poor dental hygiene in cats, poor dental care is the problem. Cats need dental care just as much as dogs or humans, but many people neglect to realize this. A cat on wet food can have just as many tooth decay issues as a cat fed dry food.

This post is a great help for cat owners. Most of cat owners don’t know what are the aspects that they need to focus on when it comes to health and well being of their cats. Others might think that owning a pet cat is as easy as 1,2,3 but it is not. As for my experience, owning a cat needs a lot of meticulous planning when it comes to healthy diet. I thought that feeding my cat with the most expensive cat food in the market will keep him healthy. Until he got sick and the main cause was the ingredient found in his food. I was very nervous at that time and immediately rushed him to the veterinarian. I realize that every cat owner should be responsible enough for their pets healthy diet. Consult the veterinarian first before feeding your cat anything. This will not give you any problem in the long run. As they say prevention is better than cure. Lucky that my cat is as it’s best now.

I just enjoyed in reading this post. I am also worried about my friend’s over weight cat. She is so lovely and healthy but Vet advised to reduce her weight otherwise she may face kidney disease in coming days.

Also, its important to realize your cat may be a different breed. Some cats do become larger naturally. We have two cats at home, one eats a lot but he is about the same. We have another breed of cat in the house and he’s younger but he is huge in comparison.

Good portions are important and letting your cat’s play is a good thing to do. It’s fun for you and it keeps your cats from being lonely and sad. Depression can cause weight gain.

Thanks for the informative tips you have shared. It’s the sole responsibility of pet owner to take proper precaution that will give good health and a happy life to pets. Though there are many veterinarian are found in all places but you should go for a certified vet who can assist you by giving helpful tips about the symptoms that can affect the pet in different type disease.

Our cat was gaining weight primarily due to overfeeding, when that stopped he began to lose weight quickly. It’s good to have a schedule for feeding times, once in the morning, afternoon, and just before bed has worked well in our home. Also we purchased a small measuring scoop that gives us a consistent volume of kibble for each cat.

Thanks for the cat health tips! I just got a cat and I want to be sure that I keep her happy and healthy. I didn’t even think about dental hygiene, but I’ll definitely try to brush her teeth or get her some treats to clean her teeth. How frequently should I do this?

Hi Eliza, Ideally you would want to shoot for a daily dental routine. I know that may not be the case, especially with cats. Start with a once a week routine, and move to an every other day routine. Once your cats has become used to the routine, then move to a once a day. I hope that helps!

This is a very helpful post. Feeding your cats the right food and making sure they can have enough excercise is healthy for their hearts, and for their minds! Boredom from not enough activity can not only lead to destructive behavior, but can contribute to cognitive dysfunction in older pets.

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